Walmart is setting up a new trade training hub at the Tulsa Welding School in Decatur, giving store associates a shot at skilled jobs in HVAC, plumbing and electrical work. Employees who finish the program can move into technician roles that pay up to $51 an hour, part of the company’s broader effort to create long‑term career paths for frontline workers instead of just short‑term jobs.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the hub will operate at the Decatur campus of Tulsa Welding School and is geared toward turning cashiers, stockers and greeters into maintenance technicians and other skilled trades workers. FOX 5 reports that Walmart is raising the pay range for general maintenance technicians to roughly $26 to $51 per hour as part of the expansion.
William Moore, one of about 600 Walmart associates already enrolled, told WSB Radio, “They walk you through it and if you really want to advance, I would tell anybody to take that program.” Moore said he has learned about pneumatic pumps, sockets and wiring, and noted that interest among coworkers is climbing as more training options roll out.
Partners And Local Scale
Walmart is delivering the coursework through partners including StrataSkills and Tulsa Welding School, and StrataTech has publicly highlighted the collaboration. Company materials and local coverage indicate that similar hubs in Florida, Texas and Indiana have already trained hundreds of associates; CityBiz reported about 668 participants as of June 1.
Why This Matters For Workers
The timing lines up with a national need for skilled technicians. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects steady openings over the next decade in installation, maintenance and repair occupations, the very roles this program feeds into. As FOX 5 Atlanta notes, some nuts‑and‑bolts details, such as exact application rules and enrollment windows for associates, have not yet been released, so workers interested in the Decatur hub will need to keep an eye on official Walmart channels for sign‑up information.
